The many obligations your deceased father
vouchsafed me in my younger years and continued until his last,
with addition of some later respects from your Lordship and new
alliance with your family, give me boldness to write unto you
and my Lord Chamberlain out of a sense of my own sufferings
occasioned by an unlooked for and, I conceive, undeserved prosecution set on foot here against me in his Majesty's name by his
Attorney-General in the Court of Star Chamber. This was sudden
and sharp, the rather because it is said to be done by directions
from thence. But as well as I could I collected myself, and
standing resolute that I had never willingly or wittingly offended
my most gracious master, I have put in a fair and true answer
to the information, which I am ready to make good in every
particular. But in regard my duty to his sacred Majesty instructs
me how unnatural and unfit it is for me to stand in opposition or
justification of anything wherein his Majesty by his officers is
pleased to declare himself a party, be my innocency never so
pure and entire, I have with advice of my best friends here taken
the liberty to entreat you and my Lord Chamberlain jointly and
effectually to move his Majesty that, in regard of my 48 [? years]
service in this kingdom endeavouring my best to be useful in all
that may concern the benefit of the Crown and commonwealth,
having not in all that time spared my purse in all public works
neither been impeached in any crime, his Majesty would give
order unto his Lord Deputy to withdraw that information, which
otherwise may remain on record as a mark of his disfavour
towards me and my posterity, which above all things is a grief
unto me; and further to license my repair to his royal person to
submit myself, upon due consideration of the merits of my cause,
to his own high wisdom and mercy; which suit, if his Majesty
vouchsafe me, I shall esteem it a full reward of all my former
services, and the greatest happiness that can befall this period
of my life.—Dublin, 28 June, 1635.Signed. Seal. 1⅓ pp. (131. 49.)

The Earl of Cork to the Earl of Salisbury.

1635, September 9.

I find the noble disposition of your father
is with his virtues, titles and patrimony descended upon you, by
your acceptance of my letters and request and propensiveness to
mediate his Majesty in a better manner than my want of judgment
in the ways of Court propounded.

After Sydenham's return with the joint letters from you and
the Lord Chamberlain, together with Secretary Windebank's
letters signifying his Majesty's pleasure to the Lord Deputy, I
accompanied Lord Clifford to the Earl of St. Alban's house at
Portumney in Connaught where the Lord Deputy did then reside;
and upon delivery of the letters (whereof I had no copy) his
Lordship said he could not make any full certificate of the state
of the cause for no witnesses were then examined, neither on the
King's part nor mine, and so he would presently write to Mr
Secretary to make known to his Majesty, and that so soon as
the witnesses were examined he would make a true certificate.
Whereupon I entreated him that by those his letters he would
be pleased that Mr Secretary might move his Highness as from
him, that I might be licensed to bring over the certificate or
come along therewith, which his Lordship promised to propound
as a suit of mine, but not of his own. Give me liberty so far to
press upon your favour as to entreat you once again to move his
Majesty that the Lord Deputy be directed to license my coming
over with his certificate (which I am confident will free me of all
guilt), and that you will interpose your entreaties on Mr Secretary,
through whose hand that letter must pass and whose favour may
be very available unto me, that such direction may come to my
Lord Deputy as I may be the messenger to bring the certificate
or come along with it, to submit myself and cause to his Majesty's
consideration.—Lismore, 9 September, 1635.Signed. Seal. 1 p. (131. 50.)

Lord Deputy Wentworth to [Lord Clifford].

1635, November 27.

The bearer must not come into Yorkshire without my letters, and at this time principally when I am
to certify your Lordship that my Lord of Cork has proved well
the consent of Warden and Fellows; and it rejoices me very
much in regard I know now I shall be able to preserve him from
shame if the fault be not his own. My Lords Chamberlain and
Salisbury, out of their affection to your Lordship and my Lady
Dungarvan, had like to have spoiled all by labouring for his
coming over, which they had obtained under certain conditions;
yet had he come over we should have had him treating for his
son Lewis, and have thought the fine better to be given to him
and gained by such a treaty albeit upon great assurances of land
upon that noble youth than to have left it behind him in the
King's Exchequer. It contents me above measure that me
thinks now I see a way forth of this business, if the devil owe him
not a shame, and I will contribute all I ever can to save and
preserve his honour; but I cannot his purse. My Lady Dungarvan grows very big; God speed her well and send her a son,
that so there may be some noble blood inheritable to that great
estate. My Lord, my humble duty to my Lord, my faithful
service to my Lady, and to you all increase of all happiness with
health to enjoy it.—Dublin, 27 November, 1635.Copy by Lord Clifford with PS.: "I had forgot to seal this
copy up within your Lordship's letter. H. Clifford." Endorsed:
"Copy of my Lo: Deputy's letter to my Lord, of the 27 9r 1635."
1 p. (131. 51.)

Thomas Kellegrew to [—].

1635, November 27/December 7.

On Thursday last they
went, by accommodation of the Archbishop of Towers, to the
monastery of the nuns that were possessed. In the Chapel there
were five of them, and with each of them a priest praying. They
heard nothing but praying, and thought they had lost their
journey, for they had been told they should see the horridest
faces, beyond a tumbler's imitation, and hear strange cries.
Describes the devotions. Suddenly two of the nuns grew unruly.
One of them abused a friar, and then catching him about the
neck, sought to kiss him. The other struck her priest and got
from him, and ran roaring to the priest who was saying a mass,
and committed some extravagancies.

Afterwards they went to the Church, and in a little chapel
there saw a friar and one possessed at the exorcism. They found
the possessed one in her shift upon her back raving mad, her
strength above a woman's; and at the request of the priest
Killegrew held one of her hands. Describes her hideous appearance. The priest stood treading on her breast, and holding the
Host over her, commanding the devil to worship it, calling him
dog, serpent and other names. Killegrew saw in her no obedience
for he was driven away with variety of strange noise to another
chapel. There also was one possessed, the priest leading her by
"the sanctified stringe". She lay on her back, her heels under
her breech and her mouth kissing the boards, howling and talking
and ever as the priest struck her with the brush and holy water
she roused, as if she felt new tortures. The priest set his foot
on her throat and commanded the devil to tell him why he
lay in that strange posture. When he charmed the devil by
the Host, which he held over him, the devil (or the woman) stood
up, shook at the sight of the box, and answered, "because he
would not see such base things as these Huganettes were, which
he feared would be turned at the sight of these miracles".

Describes another miracle of the devil, or woman, being compelled to put on a body of iron. "To tell you truth I only felt
firm flesh, strong arms, and legs held out stiff; but others that
felt affirm that she was all stiff and heavy as iron; but they had
more faith than I, and it seemed the miracle appeared more
visible to them than me."

He would have missed one miracle if Mr Mountague had not
sent for him, which was for the devil to obey what the priest
commanded mentally. The devil (or the woman) lay apparently
in a great deal of torture, but "in all his actions I saw little
above nature or a tumbler's expression". The devil refused to
obey the priest's thoughts, but fell to cursing the head of Rome
and praying for Calvin and his sect; but when another Jesuit
came in and laid a purse of relics on her head she grovelled on the
ground and said, "Let me kiss your thumbs," which it seems was
the priest's thought. Describes further proceedings, which confirmed him in believing nothing this devil had said. The friar
then laid the devil and the woman was within a minute well.
Describes the efforts of the devil to prevent the woman from
taking the Sacrament. He then went to the third possessed
woman, a very young and handsome one, and describes the
exorcism, similar to the previous cases.

They then dined at the inn, and were thence called by two
friars to see the exorcism in the nunnery. The possessed lay
down on a couch, and helped the priest to bind her to it with two
ropes. The priest then exhibited the Sacrament to her. Meanwhile another possessed woman fell into extravagant talking,
violent beating of herself, her face drawn into horrid postures,
her belly filled to the bigness of one with child, and her breasts
swelled to the bigness her belly was. On the application of the
relics the swellings removed to other parts of her body. Then
the priest commanded the devil to pay an adoration to the
Sacrament. At first she refused, but by prayers and touching
her with relics she at last obeyed; and as she lay on her back she
bent her waist like a tumbler, and went so, shoving herself with
her heels to her bare head all about the chapel after the friar for
about an hour altogether. The things he saw her do confirmed
his opinion that there are fewer devils in Loudon ("if it be as
they would have us believe") than there must be of these religious
counterfeits. At last, with a start and screech, she spake the
word "Joseph", at which all the priests cried out, "That is the
sign; look for the mark." She held out her arm, and he and
Mr Mountague looked very earnestly, and on her hand he saw a
colour rise, a little ruddy, and run for an inch upon her vein,
and into many red specks, which contracted into letters and made
the distinct word "Joseph". He could not find the least argument to question the reality of this miracle. He then went to
see the exorcism of the one bound on the couch, which was
"strange and above nature". The miracle respecting Joseph,
he, Mr Mountague and all the priests have set their hands to, and
it is sent to the King of France, and will be printed. "Then
I hope you will believe it, or at least say that there be more liars
than myself."

"If you intend me the honour of a letter, send it to Mr Mountague, and he will convey it to me to Venice, where I shall remain
all this winter."—Orleans, 7 December, 1635.
? Holograph. 8 pp. (253. 4.)

Expenses at Hatfield.

1635, December 14.

(1) "That for my Lords honor and service,
his Lordships owne table be furnished rather with more then with
less plenty and variety then heretofore, and that according to the
use in my Lords fathers time, as they shall find cause, one or
2 dishes of the first course and one dish of the second course may
be removed after it is taken of my Lord's unto the stewards
table, soe much as shall sufficiently furnish it.

(2) Ffor that purpose the steward to sett downe a good space
after my lord is satt.

(3) That the Clark be sure to provide store of ordinarie and
cheapest provision for inferior servants in the Hall, in case company increaseth, and those provisions to be served in att the
lower end and the provisioning from my Lords table att the upper,
for which the usher of the Hall to be directed.

(4) That as soone as the doore is shutt immediately after the
bell hath runge unto prayers, the porter lett in no stranger unles
he be a man of quality, and the usher of the hall before he calles
to the dresser and after bring word to the steward of all strangers
which shalbe in the hall before the tables there be sett.

(5) That for breakefaste and all other extraordinaryes in the
howse the Cleark of the kitchen to be carefull.

(6) Ffor servants, offered to his Lordships consideration
whether two gent. be not fitt to be reduced to one chamber for
the saving fewell, lights, linen, etc, to the value of xxxlper
annum. To which of his gent. his Lordship will allowe servants
to lodge and diett in the howse.
The writer reviews all the expenses of the house and estate and
suggests various reductions in the current expenses.Endorsed: "Touching expenses att 800l p ann to be lesned."
4 pp. (Accounts 32/6.)

Accounts.

1635.

Expenses of Charles, Lord Cranborne and Robert Cecil
at St. John's College, Cambridge. They are divided under the
various headings of: furniture of their rooms and that of Daniel
Marrett, gentleman in attendance on them; expenses of admission and tuition (the date of admission being 14 October, 1634);
household stuff; Men's commons; kitchen; wines and beer;
fruit, cakes and sweetmeats; tennis and other games, and visits,
when they were in London, to a "french comedy" and an "English Comedie, Mr Philippe being there"; rewards, groom's
expenses; stable charges, horse hire between Cambridge and
Hatfield, London and Newmarket; carriages; clothes; and
books. The last named contains this list:

Bills and receipts including details of taxes paid
by the Earl of Salisbury for the maintenance of various armed
forces in 1644, e.g. the Earl of Manchester's army, the forces of
the Associated Counties, the militia raised for the defence of the
county, and horsemen for the Lord General and the regiment
commanded by Colonel Cromwell. Also receipts for £5 contributed in April, 1644, towards Sir Thomas Middleton's expedition
to Wales; and for £4 paid in October, 1644, for the "weekly
meal" according to an ordinance of Parliament. There are
also a receipt for William and Algernon Cecil's expenses (at
Westminster School) including "Calumnies Chatechisme with
Becketts nots", 4/6, dated 8 February, 1644–45; and a receipt
dated 8 January, 1644–45, signed by Edward Cecil for part
payment of a legacy left him.
(Bills 219.)